oops I did it again!!!!

Dear My Favorite Grocery Store,

I appreciate the wonderful opportunity you gave us today to use our coupons against your sales to save over 65 percent on our grocery bill…I humbly look forward to getting more food for less money at your location. Oh an please tell your rude manger that I will follow his rules and will still save a fortune!

Sincerest Thanks,
My Family!!!!

So still think I’m crazy????

This is what I got today:

7 – Cheerios (around 10 oz box)
4 – Trix (around 11 oz box)
7 – Coco Puffs (around 11 oz box)
9 – Hamburger Helpers variety
4 – 2 liters of Ginger Ale
1 – Ring Pop (okay so we didn’t really need this)
2 – lunch makers for the trip home in lieu of stopping
10 – Jars of mixed Kroger Peanut Butter
5 – Bag of tortilla Kroger Chips (we love chips and salsa)
6 – boxes of hefty freezer bags (10/10 is a good deal!!!)
4 – packages of Bic Pens 12 packs
4 – packages of Orbits Gum
2 – Pillsbury cresent rolls
2 – Grands Biscuits
2 – Garlic type bread rolls
2 – cinnamon rolls
4 – 2 liters of 7up
2 – sticks of lady’s speed stick!
150.37 total cost before sales, coupons and etc.
97.09 in savings
53.28 total out of pocket expense

in total we bought 77 items for roughly 69 cents each!!!!!

So what do you think now?????

I’m shocked, but challenged enough to do better!!!!
Now moving onto the CVS ad before I fold the laundry. Also need to fix the problem of where in the world to up all the cereal!!!! We already had about 20 boxes b/c IGA had their 3/3 a few weeks ago.

look at this deal....

After seeing Kathy Spencer on the news a couple of weeks ago, she got me thinking. We are a single income family of 4 who struggles and can totally take advantage of the savings and ideas here to help us keep our heads above water.

So I put it to the test….with my bonus from work (I am a fast food manager) we decided to stock up on some paper and some other office supplies at Staples:

on 8/4 we bought a new printer (since it was cheaper to buy new than to buy ink) This one had a fax, scanner and printer all in one for 69.98, this was a lot, but the ink is a lot cheaper and in the long run this will be a savings for our family. (also this one has 4 cartridges and the old one had two, that means that we will get back and extra $2. for the extra two cartridges when they need to be replaced!)
So in this weeks ad, they had the exact same printer in there for 10 dollar less. I called the store and asked them about thier policy, they said to bring back in my receipt and they'd refund the difference.

While we were there we took advantage of some of the other savings in the ad and a clearance item:

computer desk 16.50 (clearance from 69.98) – 1.38 for using my card = 15.12
2 lolly pops (kids were really good in the store) 1.98 – .16 = 1.82
2 calculators (one for shopping one for the house) 7.98 – .66 = 7.32
2 reams of paper (1.00 ea after mir) 9.98 – 7.98 rewards – .84 card = 1.16
2 supreme matt photopaper (1.00 ea w/q) 29.98 – 27.98 – .17 card = 1.83
5 filler papers .01 each = .05
2gb thumb drive (1.00 after mir) 9.99 – .84 – 8.99 = .16
post-it notes (I'm a huge fan!!! HUGE FAN!!!) – 5.29 (free after mir) – .44 -5.29 = .44 profit
ink pins 1.99 – .08 – .99 q from ad = .91
highlighters free after mir = 4.99 – .43 – 4.99 = .43 profit
so basically besides the big purchase of the desk, lolly pops and calculators the biggest total is the tax of 3.83.
They also had a wonderful coupon for $5.00 off if you spent $50 or more….sooo my grand total after I get my rewards back is: 26.33!!!!! And I got a new desk!!!!
Thanks to all of you, you have opened my eyes a bit more!
Frugal mom of 2…..Katy

Can you imagine how excited this makes me! I must admit though, it is hard to do when you don't have the liquid funds. I know that we are going to use the rewards

One would never believe .....

So I read in the paper last week that there has been a lot of theft going on around my town. I'm not sure if I blogged about it or not, but low and behold...today we had to call the police dept. It appears that we were victims of the thief. Right when Duck found the motivation to put my wire shelf up so I could bring my plants in we realize that the wire shelf is gone. Okay, so I know what you are thinking...don't worry it went through my mind too. Who is their right mind...or left for that matter, would steal a wire rack? We bought it at the hardware store and paid about $60.00. We looked all around the entire house and garage for over an hour. So I decided that since they said there was a lot of unclaimed property, I'd call and just ask, even though it sounded absurd. So when I talked to the sheriff they said they'd have to call me back. So they finally called me back after the officer working on the case found my wire rack. Can you believe it? They stole my wire rack....hum what is this world coming to. So as I type this I wonder if my blue tooth hands free set is still in the truck along with the mp3 player that had all of our songs on it and the inverter to make it play on the radio in the car. Come to think about it the power converter should also be out there. So Duck has gone out to look so we can contact the police in the event that we are missing this stuff. I can't belive this...we felt like we lived in a close community, but had no idea that we were victims until it was time to finish the project. Duck said that it was all out there, they must have stole the rack probably thinking that they were getting something different.

Okay it's off to fold more clothes we are rearranging rooms until Duck needs to take a nap, he's lost his voice and is fizzling out pretty quick.

toodles..

Planting spurt..

The first planting took place on 1/25 or 26th I can't remember but I have it written down on the popsickle sticks that I used to label each plant, the second was on 2/8 and then the third today. I have some pics that I'm downloading right now. I'm trying to get my hyrdo system up, hopefully we will get one up this weekend. I'm lacking the following...netty pots, gravel and fertilizer. Miracle grow is the cloest thing that I can find right now at 20-20-21. I'm going to have to try it atleast. If it doesn't work then I will use that mixture to water the rest of my plants, clean the items and then order some from the internet. I really rather not do that, but I will. I have found a system that I really want to try, it seems the best for my needs for inside the house. So I would like to let everyone know right now and finally, my hydroponics system if for vegatables ONLY nothing illegal which I've been asked if that is what I'm doing. Hello! If I were doing something illegal would I post it? Would I spread info about it? Nothing is further from the possible truth. We are very excited at the possibility that we will be able to eat fresh lettuce year around. Here is one of the systems that I'm going to be trying..I'm really looking forward to seeing the results: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHiKKuAanyE&feature=related

Okay...so I really enjoy planting. I've read that Farmer's Almanac in parts that pertained to our area. I've leared a lot of useful info and we will be getting material for the cold frame which I hope to have pics of this weekend. (my work weekend) if we get them done that is!

Next it is locating a tiller...hopefully my neighbbor comes home soon :) If not we will have to either pay someone to come out and do it or rent one.

On a funny note I hurt myself really bad last night...in my sleep. The funny part is doing something that I hate to do...yoga. I was dreaming that I was doing yoga, which is really odd, then I felt a HUGE sharp pain and quickly woke up in a yoga pose. I pulled the muscle in my sternum and I would like to say, it hurts REALLY BAD.

Okay, I hope that you enjoy the pics, the youtube video and if you get bored...go to youtube and type in hydroponics. On a side note, it would be good to stay away from those referring to marijuana. There is some wonderful info and check out the verticle gardening ones too, they are really cool!

Night, Kate

I love my husband...

So we were both on the computer for a bit today...I thought I'd send him a private message, just to be silly. We kid with eachother all the time..like we'll say, "how's your girlfriend doing? or Tell you boyfriend to stop parking in my spot!" So today I sent him an IM that said, Hey sexy, wanna father my children? We're married, we can have fun...well then I saw who I sent it to...let's just say that it wasn't my wonderful husband, it was my uncle. Now...before everyone freaks out, NO I don't feel like that at all toward him...he has a wonderful family, they are actually our age and have fun like we do so he is probably going to laugh about it and tell the whole family. All in all, I was embarrassed and can only chalk it up to the wonderful relationship I have with my husband. So what's the first thing my wonderful husband did? Called my dad....that little rat.